A time to bloom: Artistic associates Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Eileen Lopez look back on the lessons of 2025 as ‘Prima’ season begins
For co-artistic associates Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Eileen Lopez, the work of honing a ballet company is never done. Here, they’re giving corrections to the dancers after a rehearsal of Swan Lake. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
By Giselle P. Kasilag
Two months into 2026, the schedule of Ballet Manila seems as though it is already in the thick of its season. There was the Pasinaya 2026 on the first week of February, a special Ballet & Ballads on the third weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of The Dawn and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde’s homecoming from Russia in 1986, and an Ibong Adarna performance series at Silliman University in Dumaguete at the end of the month. And of course, there is Prima – BM’s 31st anniversary season which will open on March 13 with Sleeping Beauty.
The year 2025 was a good one for Ballet Manila – seen here in Malaysia for their Cinderella series with artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde – and by all indications, 2026 will be even better. Photo by Larry Salgado
While 2025 may already seem so far away in the past, the learnings from Ballet Manila’s Pearl season are still fresh in the minds of co-artistic associates Gerardo “Geri” Francisco Jr. and Eileen Lopez. Taking a long view of the situation, the pair is now using their observations to assess the abilities of the dancers and better assist Lisa in managing the company.
“It was a good year!” says Geri, to which Eileen adds, “Tiring!” – followed by laughter from the both of them. The packed schedule, they explain, has become a trademark of BM with regular performances abroad on top of their season in Manila.
But 2025 was more “extra” than usual. There has been an increase in the demand for special performances and corporate shows – a trend they are happy to note seems to be continuing well into 2026.
“Nakakagulat ’yung mga unexpected na performance. Okay naman pero ’yung short preparation, kung paano isisingit, ’yun ang pinaka-challenging,” Geri admits. (Unexpected performances are always surprising. We manage but the preparation is short, how we will be able to fit it in, and that’s what makes it challenging.)
Geri Francisco: “The dancers need to discover who they are and what they are capable of.” Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Having more opportunities to dance a variety of genres is always a good thing for the dancers. It sharpens their skills and hones them to become more versatile, easily shifting from classical to contemporary and back without skipping a beat.
On the back end, it was also a challenge for the artistic and management teams to churn out fresh choreographies, arrange the schedules, and ensure that the dancers are in a safe and healthy environment while maintaining the standards that Ballet Manila is known for. There was a lot of juggling, but the over-all growth of the company is proof that the hard work continues to pay off.
“Siyempre ’yung guesting nila (Of course the guesting of) Kimin (Kim) and Renata Shakirova,” says Eileen when asked what she considered as the highlight of 2025. They performed Don Quixote with the company to packed audiences at Aliw Theater. “Na-inspire, lalo ’yung dancers, to work hard para ma-achieve ’yung mga goals nila,” she explains. (The dancers were inspired to work hard in order to achieve their goals.)
Eileen Lopez: “Artistry goes together with the proper technique; (there should be) less of the Olympic athletic style.” Photo by Jimmy Villanueva
Artistically, it lit a fire in their bellies. While principal dancer Abigail Oliveiro has always danced with much joy, Geri noticed that there were more energy and effort on her part to improve and lengthen her dancing career after striking up a friendship with Renata.
Eileen also noted that the boys seemed challenged and motivated after performing with Kimin. A number of them were seen staying on longer in the studio to practice more outside of the rehearsal hours.
Another concrete example was how Abi and fellow principal dancers Mark Sumaylo and Jasmine Pia Dames started wearing a digital monitor to track their vitals, similar to what Kimin and Renata would wear during class and rehearsals. Together with the Ballet Sports Science program of BM under coach Robert Osorio, the dancers are becoming more scientific in their approach to staying healthy and strong.
When asked about the past season, they agreed that they were satisfied with all the performances. “Wala ka namang itutulak-kabigin sa lahat. Wala kang masasabing ito maganda, ito hindi. Consistent lahat,” says Eileen. (There was no push and pull. You can’t say that one show is good and the other isn’t. It was all consistent.)
Company artist Shamira Drapete is noted to be stepping up with every role she’s given. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“Ang sarap lang ng feeling na okay ang kinalabasan ng lahat ng pinagpaguran. It’s not perfect but still within the standards of BM,” adds Geri. (It felt good that everything we worked hard for turned out well.)
There were a number of standouts that the artistic associates were proud to note, with company artist Shamira Drapete being the first on their list. “For Florante at Laura, she really stepped up,” says Eileen, adding that the company artist really delivered on stage when she debuted as Laura in October 2025.
“Ang maganda sa kanya, focused siya doon sa gusto niyang mangyari,” says Geri. “’Yung opportunities na binibigay sa kanya, mararamdaman mo talaga na ‘I can do this!’ (The good thing about her is that she’s focused on what she wants to achieve. With the opportunities given to her, you can really feel it within her – ‘I can do this!’).
Company artist John Carl Concepcion (with Idelle Buhia in last February’s The Dawn of Ballet) is seen as becoming an even more versatile dancer. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
Company artist John Carl “JC” Concepcion also caught Eileen’s eye in 2025, saying that the improvement in his performances has been noteworthy. While technically adept, he has moved on to infuse more artistry into his dancing which became particularly evident when he took on the role of Conrad in the excerpt of Le Corsaire for a Star City show. With more guidance from Geri and hard work from JC, she sees him evolving into a stronger and more versatile dancer.
Idelle Buhia, another company artist, is also showing potential. She joined the company last year and has adjusted quickly to the rigid structure and frenetic pace of BM. Eileen hopes that she continues to acquire good habits that will help her become a better artist.
Then there are those who are displaying potential in other aspects of ballet. Geri, for instance, is looking forward to seeing Mark Sumaylo return to the choreographer’s chair. The principal dancer has made short pieces for competitions in the past. With more experience in his belt, it would be interesting what new stories he would tell through movement.
A return to the choreographer’s chair for principal dancer Mark Sumaylo would be a welcome development. Photo by Larry Salgado
Company artist Marinette Franco, on the other hand, has been helping Eileen uphold the standards of BM’s corps de ballet.
“Sa kanya ako umasa (I relied on her) when they were in Dumaguete (in 2024, for BM’s Swan Lake). Every night, they would send me videos. I would watch on one phone then type corrections on the other. Then I would send it to Marinette who relayed it to them. They listen to her. And she’s good at remembering steps.”
She has also been helpful when it comes to restaging, assisting Eileen in figuring out where each dancer should be positioned especially for Ballet Manila productions involving partnerships with dance schools that entail the participation of many students.
With the season about to officially open on March 13, the artistic associates are both looking forward to an even stronger company.
Company artist Marinette Franco is said to be reliable in helping uphold the standards of BM’s corps de ballet. Photo by Giselle P. Kasilag
“I want to see artistic growth,” says Eileen. “’Yung technical aspect, kumpleto sila ng guidance with everyone from the higher-ups. Artistic growth – ’yung huwag masyadong maging Olympic athletic ’yung style, that they show artistry together with the proper technique.” (Regarding the technical aspect, they have complete guidance from the higher-ups. Artistic growth – that it’s not like an Olympic athletic style, that they show artistry together with the proper technique.)
Achieving this, however, is easier said than done given the relative youthfulness of the dancers. “Wala naman nagturo sa akin kung paano i-express ang sarili ko,” Geri explains. “So, I think it’s self-discovery. Kailangan ng dancers na ma-discover ang sarili nila, kung ano ang meron sila.” (No one taught me how to express myself. So, I think it’s self-discovery. The dancers need to discover who they are and what they are capable of.)
But self-discovery requires maturity. And maturity means they need to grow as human beings for the artistry to follow which is ultimately what the artistic associates are hoping for. “I want a blooming company,” says Geri. “’Yung mga inalagaan, sana mag-step up na talaga (We have taken the time to guide them, and we hope they really step up now.)
